


Not Wearing That

by Taste_is_Sweet



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Challenge Response, Friendship, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-13
Updated: 2012-01-13
Packaged: 2017-10-29 10:49:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/319080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taste_is_Sweet/pseuds/Taste_is_Sweet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>"You want me to try on a glowing butterfly pendant that might kill me?"</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Wearing That

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shaddyr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shaddyr/gifts).



"Seriously," John said, eying the pendant as if it was about to leap off the delicate chain and bite him. "I am not wearing that. I don't care if it can make me like Iceman."

" _Telekinesis,_ " Rodney insisted, bouncing on his toes a little. The pendant swayed back and forth on its chain, since it was dangling from his fist. "The ability to alter _time!_ Cyrokinesis is chickenfeed compared to that!" He thrust the pendant forward; John stepped back. "Seriously! This could be the greatest discovery since the Stargate, here!"

"It looks like a butterfly," John said. "And it's glowing."

"That's because it's a pendant of unstoppable, paranormal, phenomenal power!" Rodney exclaimed, kind of over-enthusiastically, John thought. Rodney scowled when John arched one of his eyebrows. "That's what it said in the database!" He shook his fist, and the butterfly danced cheerily on the end of the chain, making trails of light. "Come on, aren't you interested in seeing what it can do?"

"No," John said flatly. He narrowed his eyes. "If it's so cool, why aren't you trying it on? You've got the ATA gene, you can make it work just as well as I can."

Rodney hesitated, his eyes shifting a bit. "Well..." He coughed. "There is the... _slight_ possibility that its effects might not be...entirely salubrious."

John blinked at him. "You want me to try on a glowing butterfly pendant that might kill me?"

"Of course not!" Rodney denied hotly. "I mean, yes! Yes I do! Because there's only a tiny, totally minuscule, really, _possibility_ that it might not work. Well. I mean, that it might not work exactly as it was intended to."

Now both of John's eyebrows went up. "So, you want me to risk a horrible, probably violent death instead of you."

"Um, yes?" Rodney asked hopefully. He proffered the pendant again. "The chance of a sudden tumor or aneurysm is like, a thousand to one, really. Like, really, really minor. And you could read minds!"

John looked at the pendant. It twinkled prettily, glowing warmly as it dangled from Rodney's hand. "I'll look stupid," he said.

"Oh, right, like you didn't already lose that battle about four hairstyles ago," Rodney said with the particular snark that John knew meant Rodney knew he'd won. "Here. Put it on already and we can start the experiments."

"Can't wait," John said weakly. He held out his palm and Rodney triumphantly lowered the pendant and chain onto it. The butterfly glowed even brighter, as if pleased by the progress of events.

John sighed and slipped the chain over his head. The butterfly slid over his black shirt, glowing like a small emergency light.

"NOW!" Rodney shouted, gleefully, tapping his ear.

Radek Zelenka zapped around the corner, digital camera already held to his eye. He'd snapped three photographs before John could do more than blink and shut his mouth.

"Interdepartmental Network!" Radek crowed. He held the camera above his head like a trophy as he galloped off, cackling.

Rodney doubled over, laughing. "God," he wheezed, wiping his eyes. "Oh my God, your face!"

John blinked, then glowered. He began stalking towards Rodney. "I'm going to kill you!"

"You and your magic butterfly pendant!" Rodney gasped out, still laughing. He looked up at John with mock-hopefulness. "Would it help if I told you how pretty--"

The pendant was broken in the ensuing fracas, but by then it's powers were already proven to be somewhat exaggerated.

**Author's Note:**

> This is all [shaddyr](http://shaddyr.livejournal.com/)'s fault. She posted a challenge on the [sga_noticeboard](http://community.livejournal.com/sga_noticeboard/) community to write something about a particular butterfly pendant on eBay. I took the challenge, possibly against my better judgment.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Just a Little Ritual](https://archiveofourown.org/works/318819) by [Shaddyr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shaddyr/pseuds/Shaddyr)




End file.
